Per the video, we purchased the necessary ingredients -- a small, white onion and two cups of Gatorade -- and found a USB cord with a working iPod. With the items in hand, we set out to determine whether the claim was fact or fiction.

Following the guidelines set forth in the YouTube video, we punctured the onion on two sides using a screw driver. According to "Household Hacker," the alias of the individual who filmed and posted the experiment online, the holes are necessary for the onion to absorb the Gatorade.

After about 30 minutes we removed the onion from the glass of Gatorade and got ready to insert the USB cord into the onion. The music swells – would it really charge the iPod?

Play

null

The answer is a disappointing "no."

The iPod didn't even flicker to life, let alone begin to charge. The MP3 player remained off and we were left with a soggy onion and a glass of tainted Gatorade.

This appears to be an iFraud.

While Household Hacker did not immediately respond to messages from ABCNews.com to discuss the experiment, Adam Savage, co-host of The Discovery Channel's "Mythbusters," wasn't shy when it came to debunking the theory.

"It's total horses**t," said Savage, who offered to pay this reporter $100 if the experience had been a success.

Play

null

Is the Onion an Alternative iPod Charger?

"Just sticking a USB cord into an onion is like plugging an appliance into the ground or the dirt," he said.

According to Savage, even if there was a certain acidity from the electrolytes found in Gatorade, a path for the electrons to travel is still missing. The experiment may have worked, said Savage, if we -- and the YouTube scientist -- had used a zinc or copper electrode to produce an electric current.

"I do appreciate the different lengths people go to on YouTube to prove things that they want to be true," said Savage. "This is so divorced from reality it's not worth discussing."

Play

null

Alas, for those iPod users looking to charge their device prior to the holiday weekend -- beware. All you'll get is tears if you try an onion.